We jogged the rest of the way, or rather they did, while I had to be piggybacked, Reece doing it this time as Nick had gone into a kind of shock. Maybe he thought we'd lost our minds.
Stonehaven was safe though. Nick and Reece checked, while I used the crutches to hurry around the ground floor, sniffing and listening and checking. Stonehaven was exactly like we'd left it, nothing unusual, kids all asleep, Jeremy and Jamie asleep in his room.
We met downstairs in the newer half and sat there, clutching drinks, all looking like we'd seen ghosts. I wondered if we had. It was lucky Jamie was here. Or was it? I didn't know any more.
"So you've seen it before?"
"I thought it was a spell." I muttered. Drank the cocoa, stared at the table, still cold even with the fire going.
"Maybe it is." But Nick wasn't looking convinced either. "It couldnt be anything else. Did you see the way the clouds..."
"And those fucking owls. I hate owls." Reece shuddered, shut his eyes, then opened them as he stared at me. "You got hurt."
"Huh?" I had forgotten about it, wasn't sure what he was saying, not till his eyes went down. "Oh. I forgot about that." Sort of.
"She did?" Nick shifted closer, sliding the skirt I'd put on up, but he didn't look all that concerned. "It's okay. It happens sometimes. She bleeds so easily.”
"It does? She does?" Reece stared at him like he was mad, like it should never happen. "Maybe you should see a doctor.” In other words, of course, he meant 'talk to Jeremy'. We could never see a doctor. Our blood was too strange.
"Don't spoil it." Nick was just as glad for the change in subject, I realised, just as glad to be back onto a topic he was confidant and happy about. He grinned at me, a weak shaky grin, his own jaw shaking even now. "You had fun. We saw it."
"I might have." I flushed, as Reece's eyes locked onto me, suddenly really embarrassed.
"That's a yes, can we do that again." Nick translated. Nudged me, the grin gaining strength when I didn't argue.
"I don't want to hurt you." Reece wasn't smiling.
Nick rolled his eyes, pulled me into his lap, and bit my neck gently. I shut my eyes as his hand slid up, flushing, no dim candles to hide my expression now. It was bright and Reece was watching every single reaction I had to Nick. Oh fuck. What was Nick doing now? Fingers pressed inside me, Nick's eyes in mine, and I saw in Reece's eyes that desire flare back up. He actually stood up when I heard Jeremy. Coming downstairs. Oh man. What a thing for Jeremey to … see? Or walk in on?
"Jeremy."
"Fucking hell." Reece swore, almost banging his cup down, flopping back. "Don't tease me like that, Nick."
Nick grinned, pulled his fingers out of me, and I stood up.
"I need a shower anyway. I'm a mess."
"We know." Nick agreed. "Go on. We better tell Jeremy what happened."
I didn't want to go alone. I did anyway, I knew I was safe here ,I didn't know how to explain it. Suddenly I wondered how much of that night, when the twins had been taken, just how much of that had been fake.
It made no sense.
The shower helped ease the anxiety and stress though, and eased sore muscles as well, I was amused to see just how much 'damage' they'd done during our four legged romp. I started to wonder if we were under some spell. Maybe the place was being robbed again. Maybe they hadn't wanted to tangle with us, so they scared us away, and I knew that 'visions' could be shared. That had worked on the ex-alpha and myself far too well. Right? No way. We must have been seeing things that weren't there.
When I went down, now dressed, Jeremy said more or less the same thing. Then he told us off for being IN Forestwatch anyway, as we weren't sure it was safe after the fire, particularly after part of the roof had collapsed. He looked at me, as he said this, like he was disappointed in me. I was tempted to say Nick was the adult here... but I doubt that would have helped my case much.
The question as to what we were doing there, Nick grinned, Reece looked a bit sheepish, and Nick said something about sleeping, without elaborating. From the look on Jeremy's face he clearly was wondering what 'sleeping' meant.
"Speaking of them," I tried to change the subject and saw Jeremy freeze, "Did you find a naked necromancer in your room?"
Jeremy blinked, his cheeks may have gone a shade warmer, and then he smiled somewhat. "I may have."
"Jamie's here? Can we ask her?" Nick sat up a bit more.
"She's asleep and may need to sleep in for a while longer." Jeremy shook his head, glancing at the clock, not even six yet. "I needed a drink."
It worked though, he stopped telling us off about Forestwatch, and instead let Nick and Reece go upstairs to have showers of their own while he checked the foot. I'd left it uncovered, the shower had more or less soaked the bandage, and Jeremy seemed happy with it.
We put the news back on, curling up near each other, Jeremy's arm going across my shoulder as we watched early morning stuff.
"News from Elena?"
"There's no clear trail. It's leading them away from Miami. The factory you visited is empty now. There's a number of potiental sites right across America so they're taking it one spot at a time." Jeremy replied softly. "But they have some better ideas about where it's made from what was left over. Cortez has taken the remaining belongings to test them."
"That's good news, yeah?" I asked, head flopping against a shoulder, feeling him nod as his shoulder jerked.
"It's very good news. It might be over faster than we expected. Elena and Clayton have just got to keep up their hunt for the time being." He replied, voice soft, and I felt him dig into his pocket and hand me something. "This is for you."
I looked at the piece of paper, a tiny rune thing, a bit like a mandala or sacred geometry. It was like the one on Jamie's leg, I realised, and I'd never thought about where she'd gotten it.
"Did you draw this?"
He nodded and I admired it. People didn't know how hard it was to draw stuff like this. "It's beautiful."
"Jamie tattooed hers." Jeremy said softly, opening one eye, amused as he saw I actually liked it. "I've tried to convince Clayton and Elena to keep theirs close too but they lost theirs ..."
"Might be nice to have something on me that I put there willingly." I wasn't going to loose it though. I loved stuff like this, loved to draw it, paint it, and now Jeremy had drawn me another thing? How awesome! I slid it into my pocket and resumed cuddle time in front of the TV.
I fell asleep, barely waking when Nick got onto the other side an snuggled against me, Reece against the couch near my legs. Nothing sexual, again, this was just the regular pack thing, Jeremy now in on it as he flopped closeby with his body close to Nicks. Purely family.
“Babies?” I asked, suddenly, the urge to add them to 'cuddle' rising.
“Sleeping. Don't wake em.” Nick muttered. “We'll never relax.”
Falling asleep again, I woke some hours later, Nick shaking me gently.
"Sorry, thought you might want to see this." He smiled, kissing my forehead, and I turned to the TV.
Something about a fire. Jeremy was gone, Reece was now the warm body on the other side, and it took me a few seconds to really get why Nick meant that. A fire in a warehouse. Chemicals. Miami outskirts or something.
"Elena?"
"Don't know. It might be a different one. Jeremy's gone to call her." Nick shrugged.
There was something briefly about the dog epidemic again, and about hysterical 'sympathy sickness' reported by psychologists over the past few days in dog owners, and then they went on about that for ten minutes. What to do if your dog was sick, who to see, what to do, and so on. An expert claiming it was nature's way of dealing with how America had too many homeless dogs or something. I wasn't sure what they were an expert of.
A car pulled up outside and I sat up straighter, yawning.
"What is it?" Nick lifted his head from the couch. "Breakfast? More sex?" I nearly snorted when I saw Reece's head lift slightly then. What had I done?
"A car. I'll check." I was the only one who was really dressed.
I went outside and the smell, coming straight at me from the open window, as the familiar man got out... It was impossible to resist, I practically ran for Antonio, much to his shock. "Antonio!" I jumped at him, hugging the big guy, and he laughed as he hugged me back tight. I didn't realise how much I'd missed him. "You're back. How is Lillian?"
"Lily is off the ventilator again and is getting better. She wanted me to come back, see Nick, and take some new photos." He smiled, a tired tense smile, but I doubted he'd be here if she wasn't improving. "How is your foot?"
"I can put weight on it again." And run, apparently, when I saw someone I'd missed! Antonio grinned at me, clearly happy to be here, squeezing me again before le lowered me back down. Nick grabbed him, the two hugging. "Nick."
"Is she okay?" Nick released his dad and stepped back, arm over me.
"Improving. They think she's over the worst of it." He breathed in and out slowly, eyes shut. "Jer said Elena's going after the mutt with the cure now. I thought I should be here. Babies up yet?"
I glanced at Nick's watch. "If they're on time, the toddlers will be more or less be awake within the hour. The twins could wake any second, we don't know, they slept through for the first time."
"Congratulations." He smiled and glanced up as it started to rain again. "We better go inside."
We headed in, Jeremy not looking surprised at all to see Antonio, already cooking in the kitchen.
I heard the twins, heard them crying, as if they'd heard us. Not likely but I headed up anyway.
Or I was going to. A car pulled up outside.
Jeremy blinked as we saw someone get out that we'd never expected to see here. "Is that..."
It was Rose. Demetruis's mother.
"I'll wake Jamie and we'll make sure the twins are okay. You go deal with that. All three of you." Jeremy's eyes went from me, to Nick, to Antonio. This was a family problem. She might have been a little old lady but... but I felt better with Nick and Antonio there.
We nodded and I led the way back outside as she slid out of the expensive car, body guards already waiting, their eyes hidden under the dark glasses.
"I have come to talk." She said, as she stood there, the body guards on either side of her. Rose was tiny, maybe five feet tall, but she was radiating power. Confidence. No wonder why she'd bugged Clayton. "Hello, Nicholas."
"We don't want your excuses or anything else you're offering." Nick narrowed his eyes, arms tightening around Rose, and she gazed at him. Whatever points she'd won with him while he was her grandson's captive, they were gone now, probably imploded all over the place when she refused to give the twins back.
"To explain then. No custody battle. I will talk, then you can speak back or ask me to leave. I will not take your children. I have only come to apologise and explain my behaviour. It was ... hasty."
Antonio's hand brushed across my arm, moving to my other side, his calm energy calming me down as well. I breathed out slowly, releasing the anger in me, and saw Nick relax somewhat too.
"Come in, explain, and then leave." Antonio was calm, voice soft, but there was a hint of a threat there. One I'd never heard from him before. "But only on the understanding that you're not leaving with my grandson or my granddaughter."
"I understand that." Rose nodded. She followed him inside, only one of her body guards with her, and we sat down in the kitchen.
I got tea while she sat there quietly, trying to not look around, Nick helping while Antonio waited patiently. She started talking before I finished.
"I come to apologise. This was not what my family was like."
"Your family?"
"One of the four powerful Cabal families. This was not how it was when I was young. We made mistakes and now your family pays for each one." She looked down at her ring.
"No, your husband's the heir." Antonio said, softly, that tense threat back. "We were informed."
"No, it is not my husband that is the family. I am it." She met my eyes, a soft look, a tired look. Really tired. "I am not in possession of any skills. Neither is my husband. My father was one of the Cabal families, he ran it, but when the depression came, it hurt our family very badly. For a number of years we struggled to pretend nothing had changed when we were becoming closer to ruin. But they had my younger brother and believed he would save us."
I didn't speak, just put the food out for her and the tea, and she served herself before I could offer to do it for her. She was a stubborn old woman, I could see that closer up, maybe even hot tempered.
"You must excuse me. A life time of people doing things for me has me now determined to do them for myself as long as I can. But back to the story. My little brother was, as the world calls it now, not safe. Mentally ill. He would hurt others and laugh and then he would lock himself away for days and cry." She spoke so calmly, as she sipped the tea, her eyes on the drink instead of on me. "My father believed it to be normal for a boy of his age to be ... temperamental. He viewed many of my brother's cruel sides as an assist to the family, believing he would save our family from the ruin it was falling into. It was too much pressure and he threw himself off a bridge when he turned eighteen. I was only seven. And so suddenly, my family, one of the last great Cabal families, suddenly had no son, no sorcerer, and were about to be bankrupt. Something had to be done."
Rose didn't speak for a while, just twisted the ring on her finger, some antique thing I had to guess that looked like it had been around a very long time. Then she spoke, "And so they broke the first rule we must never break, may have even been the ones responsible for our exposure to this government. They sought out my husband's family. One of the richest in America, selling medicine and creating new medicines, and exposed themselves to my husband's parents. They offered to adopt him and make him one of the most powerful men in the sorcerer world. I would be adopted by my husband's family. My father would use his magic to make my husband look as if he was their son. He was the same age as my brother, sixteen, and no one would be wiser for it. Both families would gain- they would have knowledge of magic and would be allowed to study it from us, in secret, and we would have a heir again and financial security off profits made from the research. I was married to him at thirteen when he was twenty three."
I breathed out slowly there, shutting my eyes, unable to picture that.
"Yes, today this is shocking. It was not so unusual then. I looked a few years older and it went without a problem. My new husband was not patient, he was used to having whatever he wanted, and this now included his wife. I had my first child a year later. I had six sons, one who was still born, and one daughter who died as a baby. He was jealous of our sons. They were sorcerers, like their grandfather, and he would hit them often if they showed signs of it." She tightened her lips. "If I defended them, he would beat me instead, which upset my children, so I tried to stay quiet and keep them quiet. Then they started to die. Accidents, it was always called, but it never seemed right. Demetruis had many close calls. Saw his younger brother die in front of his eyes, and saw my father killed in a similar way, and was never able to believe it was an accident. Out of all of my children, he alone survived, and brought me home two grandsons. I had never been happier to see any baby in my life."
She smiled, weakly, and I saw it. Grief. "My last son and his sons. My husband got so sick that his brain was damaged and I took over the family. This is a role I waited a very long time to take and I had much to prove. Women still are not seen as powerful. This is changing, now, but it was a different world. I had to focus on that and less on my son and his children. Years vanished. Then, I hear that my grand son has started experiments, and my son tells me that these will change the world for the better. So I do not worry. I trust Demetruis. I then hear that girls have been hurt and that my grand son has been arrested. You do not know how angry I was with you for what you did to him, until I went to court and heard what he had done for myself, and now ... Demetruis assured me had had no idea, and was apart of arresting his sons. He disowned them. He was a good boy. He was always a good man. But his sons hurt him terribly. It brought on the madness I saw in my older brother. At first I pretended I did not see it, at first I believed he was grieving, but then he grew worse. I heard rumours."
Rose went quiet again, shutting her eyes, pain across her face for a moment. "It was the right thing, to disown his sons, for Demetruis to do. And yet I had only Demetruis again. No grand children. It broke our hearts to find out how they behaved. To find out that they were copies of their grandfather, my husband, right down to their tastes in women. It was the right thing to do, to disown them, to remove the temptation. When he told me that you had agreed to have his child, I felt some happiness again, I felt some hope. A woman werewolf, changing the male world, bringing me children? I did not know he forced you to agree. I did not want to believe that he really had started to get sick as his uncle had. Demetruis is my last son. He cares for me so well. Loves me. I cannot believe he is ever like his father or his uncle. I could not believe it. Not even when he was arrested. I couldn'tgive you those children back. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I couldn't give up the last children I have in this world."
I shut my eyes now, breathing out. I had to admit it. I felt for her now, I really did, if all but Dominic or Reece died, and then they ... I wouldn't know how I'd do it. I'd rather super glue them to me than give them up.
"You are a mother now. You know how strong our love goes. We love them, we raise them, and then my son and his sons do terrible things and I must face it. I have lost all my sons. My husband lies there, but his mind is gone, and I have no family now. The last two innocent faces in my world... how could I give them up too? I am sorry for not giving them to you. I know you are their mother. I just ask that you please, don't cut me out too, let them have a grandmother. I know you two will be their parents. Not my son. I would not allow it after finding out how he brought them into the world."
"I won't cut you out." I said it, quietly, Nick's hand tightening on my hand.
"You sure?" Antonio said, softly from beside me. "You would let them stay with her?"
"No. I can't be sure they're safe yet. There's a lot of problems out there. A group that want to create a war using them as soldiers. I need to be sure that they are safe at all times." I added, as my eyes met her eyes, now teary. "I can't let them stay over with you yet. Not yet. They have to stay here with their pack. Everyone here will protect them."
She nodded sadly. "I understand. All I ask is that I am known to them. That I see them. I have only these children left in the world. I love Deme, I love him with every fibre, that will never change. But I cannot allow him to harm my grand children. I will do anything to protect them."
It was a bit cold, some small voice in me warned, but I shrugged it off. Nodded. She stood up, reaching for a small square of fabric.
"I will contact you soon about visits. Please, if you are in need of anything, you can call me. I am able to do much. Pull strings."
"Can you get the treatment for us? Or point us in the direction of who's taken over?" I asked before I could stop myself. Any assistance with this, while Clayton and Elena were struggling, following ghosts, and leads and shit all over the entire damn country, any assistance was welcome. Even Lucas' father had nothing new for us.
"Or in the direction of Demetruis himself." Antonio added, standing also. "If he has become mentally ill, as you say, he may be safer in custody."
Rose nodded slowly. "I will look into it. I have contacts that will know more. I will attempt to get you all the treatment while I find out more about it, without any addictive additions. The last thing I need is for the protectors of my grand son to be weakened."
We watched her go, Jeremy coming down with one baby in arms as he watched her leave, and I sighed, relaxing, leaning against Nick.
Somehow, even though I'd more or less empathised with what she'd gone through, I felt uneasy. Maybe this was to be expected with her family history.
Nick kissed my head, glancing over to Jeremy and Rose in his arms, muttering something about how Reece and Rose now needed nicknames so it was less confusing for him. Maybe he was right.
"I think you're right. They need middle names." I agreed, Nick blinking as if he hadn't actually experted me to agree, but … somehow, it bothered me that Rose had her grandmother's name. Or a name that matched anyone from that family. And Reece was going to get confusing. "I suppose I was in a hurry. I thought I'd never see them again."
"Can I name them?" Nick asked, quietly, his eyes meeting mine.
I nodded and he snuggled the baby against him, gentle, kissing the tiny ear there as he gazed down at her. It was another way he could lay claim to them, I realised, another way he could make them his.
Jamie came down with Reece, glancing around at us. "Did it go okay?" She asked. I wondered how much she'd slept, the shadows under her eyes suggesting maybe not so much as she should have. Jeremy brushed past her, hand running along her back, as she offered the little boy to me and I took him, love flooding through me as he yawned up at me.
"It went fine. Jamie, can we as-" Nick started, but Jeremy shook his head.
"Let her have some more sleep first, Nick."
"I'm not sure if I'll get back to sleep." Jamie said but she yawned and let him lead her back upstairs anyway.
Reece caught my eye, from the doorway, and I went across to the little porta-crib in the living room so that I could talk to big Reece. My lips twitched at that title. I followed him into the backyard.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just … can I come sleep with you guys tonight?" He grinned sheepishly, awkward, reaching out for my hand.. "I ...haven't slept like that for a long time. Without nightmares. I'm going back to New York tomorrow so..."
Complicated. Yep. I was right about that. Nick came out then, and Reece repeated the question, making Nick look as amused as I was anxious.
"Yeah, of course." He reached out for my hand, drawing me against him, nuzzling against my neck. "Work?"
Reece nodded. I leaned against Nick, shutting my eyes, aware that this 'threesome' sleeping thing might take some time for us to get into a routine with. One extra pair of arms for babies though. One extra body for warmth.
"I'd just like to be around you two. Before I go back."
We separated when Antonio came out, pretending as if we'd been doing nothing, though I had this vague sense that he'd caught sight of something. He looked a bit puzzled and asked me if I was all right. When I nodded, he blinked, tried to shrug it off, and I wondered if we were planning on keeping this secret or not. It wasn't really anyone's business but... it was another thing I hadn't thought of before.
The day passed, inching by, with Jamie remaining upstairs with Jeremy 'sleeping'. We played games with the kids, cleaned, fed, cleaned, cleaned a little more, chased the kids down and made the toddlers change several times, then cleaned their arms, faces and hair, changed diaper in breaks between each of these things, and I had to admit I was glad Antonio had showed up right now. Reece was better with the older kids, he took them out for 'crocodile hunting', so the three of us could concentrate on the little ones.
Elena and Clayton, apparently were in another state now. Again, no word to us what state, and again, I wish I knew so I could ...follow. Or something. I could follow without stealing their glory, couldn't I? All I knew was that Demetruis was leading them around all over the place. Someone had given the mad man a credit card and he was using it.
I crawled into bed ahead of the other two, shutting my eyes, still damp from the shower. This time, with the warning Reece had given us, I'd thought to shave. He didn't seem to care earlier, okay, but I was still self-concious about this 'arrangement'.
Reece beat Nick to it- Nick was still struggling with the triplets- and crawled in beside me. The twins were asleep nearby and he glanced at them, suddenly concerned.
"They're not going to be traumatised by seeing you snuggle me." I muttered. "Come here."
"If I don't want just a snuggle?" He glanced down at me, crawling into bed in his boxers anyway, making sure he went on the side I gestured to. The side Nick didn't sleep on.
"Then keep quiet and don't wake them. You don't want just snuggles?"
"Do you?"
I laughed then, sudden, covering my mouth at his face. We were behaving like a couple of silly teenagers, who weren't sure if the other wanted or liked kisses or cuddles or ...other things... bumbling and messing up all over the place. He grinned, relaxing, flopping down against my side under the sheets.
"How about we wait for Nick and try to not fall asleep." I yawned, shutting my eyes, curling up on my side.
Nick woke me an hour later, Reece asleep against my side, kissing my neck gently as he gazed across me to Reece. "Like him?"
"You know I do." I muttered.
"Training him. He'll be one hell of a man soon." He grinned at me, leaning over to push at Reece, tipping him off the bed. Reece swore, I grabbed at him, making sure he didn't crash to the ground and wake the twins.
"Shh." I hissed, Reece grinning as he re-balanced himself on the bed. Nick didn't think somet-
Wait, where were the twins?
"They're with Dad. He's struggling to sleep and wanted to be near them." Nick answered my question without me having any need to ask it. '
Shutting my eyes, I let my body ease me down into the peaceful sleep that always came after being so loved, still somewhat in awe of the fact that I was currently being 'loved' by someone beside my husband. It was complicated, it was a problem, and I heard him lean up from behind to stare at me as he thought I was asleep.
"I have to go." Reece muttered, against my ear, so soft that I had to struggle to hear him even with my hearing. "I'm sorry. I'm confused. I ...don't know what I feel for you now. Fuck."
He shifted back, unaware of my heart suddenly racing, and I felt him slide out of the bed and leave the room, Reece's breathing a little faster all over again. Not with desire now. With something else.
Dismay and regret filled me, as he shut the door, and I opened my eyes to see his shadow fade down the hallway. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This was what I was afraid of. Open the door to sex, affection, the deepest levels of intimacy and trust... and it opened up a lot of other things too. Maybe things that had been ignored. It wasn't that sex 'made you fall in love'. It was that it made you open up things that might have already been buried or confuse you.
I sat up, sleep gone from my mind, and sat there in the dark, hands clenched hard on the sheets, still tasting Reece's mouth against mine. Shit. Now what did I do? There was no guidebook for this.
This was what had worried me. I sat there, head in hands, horror at what he'd said.
"Well, aren't you going after him?" Nick's voice made me jump. He was wide awake too, shifting up, flipping the light on. He raised an eyebrow at me.
"He said he's in love with me." I said, the pain of this news hurting far more than I expected, because I loved Reece. Not like Nick, sure, but I loved him and the last thing I wanted to do to him was confuse or hurt him.
"Yeah, and you love him. So go drag him back and go to sleep." He blinked sleepily at me, the words confusing me now, and I stared at Nick. Tried to see some sort of teasing, or humour, something to show that he was teasing and that I could be angry with him for this. Nothing. Just his serious, if slightly confused and sleepy, expression.
"That's not funny, Nick. I love you. Reece is different, he's something else to me, and you... you're my mate. This isn't funny. This isn't a game." I snapped. I wanted to be angry with Nick. It had been his idea. "Fuck, Nick."
"Calm down." Nick reached for me, stroking my back gently, sliding closer. "It's not that bad. I knew you love him. You think I'd have wanted anyone else to share you with? Pressure you to be with someone you didn't care about? Go get him, tell him it's fine, and make him come back here." He yawned, flopped back, and shut his eyes. He was acting like it wasn't a problem at all that Reece was confused. What was wrong with him? Did he think I just married him to get laid?
"Fuck, Nick. I married you. I love you. Remember? You're my husband. That's a serious commitment, it's not … it's not like two pairs of socks. Fuck. What was I thinking, letting you get me to do this! I told you. Complicated." I pushed his hands away, so angry with him, sliding out of bed and pulling something on. I went out as he tried to call me back, ignoring Reece's door, too ashamed to look him in the face. The two most important me to me, and now one was upset. Hurt. Maybe not able to be near me again.
I ran right into Antonio, who was downstairs, nearly tipping his hot coffee over the two of us in the process.
"You're supposed to be sleeping." He blinked at me. He looked strained, tired, stressed, and more than he had earlier.
"Nick." I muttered, scowled, and I saw his lips twitch. "The twins down here?"
"All right. Come watch a movie with me. He'll fall asleep eventually. The twins are asleep in the study, very happy, very full tummies." I didn't argue, let him lead me into the living room, an arm over my shoulder as he drank the strong drink.
We sat there a while before I asked the obvious question. "Why... aren't you in bed?"
He shut his eyes a moment, took another drink of his coffee, then his eyes met mine. There it was, something really wrong, and he reached out to squeeze my shoulder. "She's back on the ventilator. She has a fever. I...I'm waiting for news." He glanced at the phone on the coffee table.
"Is it bad?"
Antonio nodded.
"Then you should go. Now." I muttered. "I'm awake. Twins are good. Get the hell out of here."
Antontio smiled somewhat, I saw his shoulders slump. "I don't have to..."
"If you don't, I'll wake Jeremy and make him take you." I threatened. I wasn't sure if Jeremy would actually do that, if he'd really drag him to the airport, but I'd nag till he did. The last thing I wanted, after tonight's fuck up, was for Antonio to not be there for Lillian while she struggled in hospital. The only thing good about a hospital was getting out of it.
"All right. I'll get onto booking a flight. Don't wake anyone." He only picked the phone up when I nodded. "Wasn't Reece going back tomorrow?"
I wanted to say no. No. I was tying him up till we sorted this out. I did not want him to go now. Instead, I just nodded, my nod a little jerkier now. I went for the kitchen while he went upstairs, went for the stash of chocolate I'd hidden in a container amongst all the premade meals that had been rescued and dug right in.
Nick came down, yawning, and reached for me. I grumbled, turning, and he just held on harder. The fact that he wasn't stealing my chocolate showed he wasn't trying to bug me, at least not competely, but I was still upset that Reece was upset, and that now I was upset, and that this was all ...I didn't know. Sometimes I thought Nick didn't always think things through.
"Liz..."
"Shut up." I muttered. Ate chocolate. Was this what a break up felt like? I had this sudden urge to go for ice cream. "Or bring me ice cream."
He watched me for a few seconds more, smile fading, that frown line returning. Nick opened his mouth to say something, only to be cut off as Antonio and Reece came back down the stairs, both with packed bags, keys in Antonio's hand.
"Dad?"
Antonio glanced up, a little guilty, but tried a reassuring smile. "We're going in now."
"Is it Lillian?" Nick's hand tightened on my shoulder when Antonio nodded.
"There's four adults. Three toddlers. We'll come."
"Nick, we can't just..."The chaos that'd come with this. Matt, he'd cope, but interrupting the sleep of three three year olds?
"First thing in the morning, Nick. The last thing you want to bring into Lillian's room are three tired toddlers." Antonio crossed the room in a few strides, hand on Nick's shoulder, the other finding mine. "Do you want us to wait?"
I suddenly realised Nick was right. Shit. If we waited, Antonio waited, because you needed one adult per child. Shutting my eyes, I felt the words come out, "No, Nick's right. We'll just have to deal with it."
I felt Nick's brush against my side as I stood up, thankful, an arm slipping around my waist. I was still upset with him, of course, and I saw Reece wasn't meeting my eyes, but first thing was Nick's mother.
Antonio let it go too. "All right."
"How long till the plane goes?"
"You've got around ten minutes to get them dressed, packed, wake Jeremy, and the car seats in. I'll wake Jeremy." Antonio dropped his suitcase and headed upstairs.
"I'll put the stuff in the car and the seats in." Reece picked up Antonio's case and headed away.
The two of us got to work with the rest of it, Matt waking and accepting it without a complaint. He yawned, went back to sleep in his bed, muttering something about wanting a huge tent from New York while I was there. I guessed he meant one of those marquee tents, I wasn't sure, I wasn't sure why he'd even want one.
Jeremy was up now, helping Nick dress the sleepy and confused toddlers, and I packed a bag for the three of them as best I could. Whatever I forgot we'd have to buy, they were more upset about leaving toys behind than clothing, and I wanted to keep them as calm as possible till we got to the other end. Leave the pram behind- they could walk and if not, they'd have to be carried. Antonio helped me as Nick vanished into our bedroom to get our own things, but only for a second, before he muttered something about getting Nicky to hurry up- Nick was not a fast packer.
Somehow we did it though. Three toddlers, Matt informed and happy, and then...
I remembered I was supposed to be guarding Kate and Logan.
Shit.
"What?" Nick was halfway into the car when he saw me freeze.
"I have to stay and guard the twins. Remember?"
Nick scowled. He'd forgotten all about this. Antonio glanced at Nick and Reece, then to me. "There's three of us. Enough for the toddlers on the plane. You don't have to come right now. When they call again, Clayton and Elena, let them know and see what Elena says."
It made sense but I wished I could be there for Nick. He came over, we said quick tense goodbyes- I was still angry with Nick for not thinking- and Reece muttering something similar from the back seat, and I watched them take off into the night with the three already asleep babies. I just hoped she was fine.
Jeremy seemed surprised to see me, yawning as he got a drink of juice, and when I reminded him he blinked a few times. "Ah. I forgot about that."
"I suppose we better not tell Clayton we forgot."
"Probably wise." He smiled somewhat, poured me a juice as well, adding, "But at least you get a holiday."
"Holiday?"
"Only twin babies."
I blinked. Smiled. Jeremy was right. Oh my god, I only had twins with me. Twins. BABY twins, who weren't able to crawl yet, and who wouldn't have to be constantly watched, listened to, chased, wiped, changed, washed, bathed, naughty-stepped, chased, bathed...
Okay, it may only be till morning, but this wasn't going to dampen my spirits. "I might get to read a book!" I exclaimed. "Or paint. Oh my god, Jeremy, I might get to paint."
He laughed, nodded, and we went back upstairs so we could get sleep. Jeremy brought them back into my room and I crawled into bed, still upset about Reece being upset, but too tired to focus on it Instead I focused on the fact that I might have time to paint tomorrow. That cheered me up.
I lay there in bed, the scents of Reece and Nick still strong in my nostrils, trying to relax into a sleep. I was tired, I really was, but I wasn't falling asleep no matter how hard I tried. I missed Nick already. God, how pathetic did that sound? But it was true. And I was desperately worried for him, Antonio and Lily. I wished I could have been there. Being so far away... not knowing what was happening every minute... it made me feel so damn helpless.
Painting didn't happen. It was the last thing on my mind the next day, even with the 'holiday', I just waited. Waited for Elena and Clayton to call. Waited for Nick or Antonio or Reece to call. Nothing all morning, nothing at all, except for the tenseness and anxiety building up in my own head. It was like once Nick had this immense stress, once he was there, he was back to cutting himself off from me for a while. I wasn't sure how much more distance he'd put between us if it got really bad. And I wished I hadn't gotten angry at him. He'd made it clear that I was equally calling the shots, as far as whether it'd happened or not, and I could have probably made up 'rules' too.
I explored with the twins in the forest, Logan, Kate and Matt leading us around, but Matt would glance at me everytime I looked at the phone and wait. He was old enough to know when something was going on and, even if he didn't count Nick and myself as 'parents', Nick had been more of a father to him than any other man. Maybe he had counted as a parent. I didn't know. We wandered around in the bush for half an hour, the phone checked every few minutes, till they got bored and headed back for the house ahead of me.
Elena called as we were coming in, I was pushing the 'all terain' stroller thing into a space in the laundry so the muddly wheels didn't cause more mess than we already had, Jeremy carrying both twins into the living room for a feed, change and play.
Logan and Kate stole the phone for half an hour, vanishing, only returning it after Elena probably threatened them with additional grounding. Jeremy spoke briefly with her as I washed up lunch and cleaned the renewed mess in the kitchen, glancing at me as he did, and motioning to me to follow him quietly.
Wiping my hands on my jeans, I nodded, made sure the twins were more or less safe and happy in their 'play jungle' thing, and we headed into the living room.
"Where are the kids?" He asked softly.
I listened, concentrating for the sounds of them, hearing them outside in the backyard, something about building a mud city. "Outside. Might need to hose them off."
He didn't smile at my joke, just turned the tv on as low as he could, the phone still in his hand. "What channel?" Jeremy asked Elena, her voice returning, and he flipped channels.
It was the same 'Epidemic' drama, panic, tips, all of that hysteria that I had gotten used to seeing in American news. Only now, there were no images of cute fluffy dogs, there was only this image of a hospital. I didn't know what state it was- the only 'shortcut name' I knew for a state was NY for New York.
Jeremy frowned at it as he listened, Elena quiet, and I tried to get what was going on. He didn't answer when I asked.
"Sixteen more deaths have been reported in Seattle of this disease. The government has yet to release a statement but scientists have reported that the disease appears to be a mutated version of the canine fever."
"Bloody hell! Sixteen de..." No, more than that, this was 'more deaths', not 'total'. It didn't take long for the news to tell us the total. Seventy eight deaths suspected to be related to this 'canine fever'. In Seattle and surrounding areas, not in America. I swore again, softly, shaking my head in disbelief.
"Shh, Anne." Jeremy's eyes went in the direction of the backyard. He didn't want the kids to know yet.
I flopped down, feeling a bit stunned as I watched the news, the number echoing around my head. This was today. That many deaths today in one state.
Wait, where was Seattle? I wasn't sure and when I asked Jeremy, he muttered something about Washington. Was that near us or not? I had no clue.
Jeremy sat beside me as he spoke to Elena softly. There'd apparently been a trail leading to Seattle. She and Clayton were already booked on a flight there- she'd call us when she arrived. I suddenly had doubts about this idea- if they cut off Washington somehow, would they be stuck?
Before I could ask she was gone, getting on a flight, and I shut my mouth.
"Jeremy, what does this mean?"
"I'm going to call Lucas and find out." He replied, calm as ever, but there was that tenseness back. "Then Jamie. She's in town. She may hear rumours while she's there. We'll wait before we tell the kids."
I nodded as he left, sitting there, staring at the TV. At least there'd been no reported cases of this outside Washington. No proof that the deaths were even remotely related, except for the same area, and it didn't seem to have spread. The news anchor was pretty clear about this and for people to not panic. It was like the swine flu panic, or the anthrax panic, I hoped. If those deaths were today then they wouldn't have even had time to do an autopsy, led alone know for certain, so whoever those scientists were... they would be jumping the gun a bit. There was always an 'epidemic fear'. Every damn year. Last year it was 'obesity epidemic'.
I was more concerned about my own family. Lily.
And so I waited, quiet, more or less ignoring the TV and staring at my phone every half hour.
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
WHAT IS THIS.
That's right. It's MORE.
Also... let me share a nice song for you all. :)